Munster vs Scarlets, Fri 12th March 7:35pm; TG4/Eir Sport 2

thomond2006

Munster:
Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Damian de Allende, JJ Hanrahan, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Nick McCarthy;
James Cronin, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland (C); Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Sullivan, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Thomas Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Paddy Patterson, Jack Crowley, Darren Sweetnam.

Scarlets:
15 Johnny McNicholl; 14 Tom Prydie, 13 Tyler Morgan, 12 Steff Hughes (capt), 11 Steff Evans; 10 Angus O’Brien, 9 Dane Blacker;
1 Steffan Thomas, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 4 Morgan Jones, 5 Sam Lousi, 6 Aaron Shingler, 7 Jac Morgan, 8 Sione Kalamafoni.

Reps: 16 Taylor Davies, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Alex Jeffries, 19 Tevita Ratuva, 20 Uzair Cassiem, 21 Will Homer, 22 Paul Asquith, 23 Johnny Williams

Unavailable because of injury
Dan Jones (concussion), Phil Price (knee), Dan Davis (hamstring), Kieran Hardy (hamstring), Josh Macleod (Achilles), Blade Thomson (concussion), Lewis Rawlins (neck), Tomi Lewis (knee), Samson Lee (concussion), Tom Rogers (knee), Rob Evans (concussion), James Davies (concussion), Danny Drake (ankle), Sam Costelow (ankle), Ryan Conbeer (ankle), Rhys Patchell.

Unavailable because of international duty
Ken Owens, Wyn Jones, Jake Ball, Ryan Elias, Gareth Davies, Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny.

No bolters in the starting XV for Munster, but the bench includes Ahern, Kendellen (debut) and Crowley. Given the long list of players missing for Scarlets, I would have hoped for more experimentation particularly in the front row.

Cookiemunster

From what Larkham said in this weeks press conference it doesn't look like there'll be much experimentation for the next two weeks. Full focus is on building up for the final. I suppose we'll have to wait until the Rainbow Cup to see some of that.

sensitive1960

5 Scarlets players missing with concussion is staggering (excuse the pun)

leakyboots

Two outhalves starting with Crowley on the bench is very interesting. JJ's form has been more consistent of late this season, that 10-12-13 axis will be fun to watch

thomond2006

Cookiemunster wrote: »

From what Larkham said in this weeks press conference it doesn't look like there'll be much experimentation for the next two weeks. Full focus is on building up for the final. I suppose we'll have to wait until the Rainbow Cup to see some of that.

I'm not liking the selections at TH in particular. Our 3rd and 4th choice options are both available as far as I'm aware and they've 48 minutes between them since the New Year.

leakyboots wrote: »

Two outhalves starting with Crowley on the bench is very interesting. JJ's form has been more consistent of late this season, that 10-12-13 axis will be fun to watch

Carbery needs to get minutes alongside DDA and JJ was due a game too.

leakyboots

Cookiemunster wrote: »

From what Larkham said in this weeks press conference it doesn't look like there'll be much experimentation for the next two weeks. Full focus is on building up for the final. I suppose we'll have to wait until the Rainbow Cup to see some of that.

No idea what he's on about, there's a good bit of experimenting going on in that squad!

phog

JJ starting with Joey is worth a look, see how creative they be playing together.

Sean Gallagher is the ref.

thomond2006

phog wrote: »

JJ starting with Joey is worth a look, see how creative they be playing together.

Sean Gallagher is the ref.

I think it's a case of getting both players match fit and looking at the possibility of looking elsewhere for bench cover other than Scannell.

Digifriendly

Dead rubber for Munster although Scarlets are battling to be in CC next season. I have lost interest in last 2 rounds of matches. Looking forward to final though.

phog

thomond2006 wrote: »

I think it's a case of getting both players match fit and looking at the possibility of looking elsewhere for bench cover other than Scannell.

There's that too but JJ is probably more creative than Scannell in looose play but probably softer on defence than him.

yerrahbah

That's a lot of lineout options

Patterson will be hoping he actually gets off the bench this time

Cookiemunster

leakyboots wrote: »

No idea what he's on about, there's a good bit of experimenting going on in that squad!

It's a lot closer to full strength than many were expecting. The front row and replacements for example could have been totally rotated. Ahern could have started in teh second row. Haley starting at 15 again, when Daly or Sweetnam could easily start there.

The only real experiment is the center partnership.

leakyboots

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's a lot closer to full strength than many were expecting. The front row and replacements for example could have been totally rotated. Ahern could have started in teh second row. Haley starting at 15 again, when Daly or Sweetnam could easily start there.

The only real experiment is the center partnership.

Backrow and subs too. I agree about changing it up a bit more but it's still an interesting lineup

thomond2006

With Carbery and JJ likely to play the majority of the game, I'd hope the Benetton game is used to give Crowley and Flannery a start. Haley will be due a rest as tomorrow will be his 4th consecutive start.

Henry Ford III

phog wrote: »

There's that too but JJ is probably more creative than Scannell in looose play but probably softer on defence than him.

Yes but Scannell hasn't been at his best in that respect either recently. I hope JJ makes his tackles.

Cookiemunster

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's a lot closer to full strength than many were expecting. The front row and replacements for example could have been totally rotated. Ahern could have started in teh second row. Haley starting at 15 again, when Daly or Sweetnam could easily start there.

The only real experiment is the center partnership.

And the bench kendellans only 19 i think. Crowley has what 2 caps? Ahern has about 5 and patterson has none.

In the team nash is 23, jj is starting 12, joey is starting his first game back, the back row is all 22/23,

It's fairly widely acknowledged that throwing out an academy team does nobody any favours so that was never on the cards.

Also holland deserves to start the last few games they will mean more to him than anyone

bayern

Brynlee Poor Pedal wrote: »

And the bench kendellans only 19 i think. Crowley has what 2 caps? Ahern has about 5 and patterson has none.

In the team nash is 23, jj is starting 12, joey is starting his first game back, the back row is all 22/23,

It's fairly widely acknowledged that throwing out an academy team does nobody any favours so that was never on the cards.

Also holland deserves to start the last few games they will mean more to him than anyone

Kendellan is 20 fyi

thomond2006

Whoops. KO is 8pm tonight, not 7:35pm.

yerrahbah

Weather looks crap.
Might be an arm wrestle

thomond2006

Hopefully the pack can handle Scarlets. Leinster's pack decimated them a few weeks ago.

pickarooney

Trying to remember where I saw Kendellan before

theVersatile

pickarooney wrote: »

Trying to remember where I saw Kendellan before

PBC Senior Cup
Ireland U18 Schools Five Nations (shown on Eir a couple years ago) - Captain
Munster A

theVersatile

Perhaps not the ideal day to be trialling a new innovative 10-12 dual playmaker axis

Scarlets coach is a very Kiwi sounding individual.

Del.Monte

Is this on the TG4 Player - mine is blank?

Beechwoodspark

Woeful weather down there at the moment

Sheets of rain and fairly windy

thomond2006

theVersatile wrote: »

Perhaps not the ideal day to be trialling a new innovative 10-12 dual playmaker axis

Leather. Off. Kick. Ball.

randomname2005

I wonder if that kick off was deliberate or is the weather that bad?

leakyboots

In all my years I never knew ducks 'chirped', thanks Liam

irishbucsfan

leakyboots wrote: »

In all my years I never knew ducks 'chirped', thanks Liam

Hahahaha came here to say the same thing!

theVersatile

Jesus, the ground really done Carbery there. He dealt with it cool as you like in fairness! Good line speed from Coombes to cut off the overlap afterwards

EDIT: And a sár kick from Joey

leakyboots

Lovely kick, welcome back Joey!

randomname2005

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Hahahaha came here to say the same thing!

Guessing Liam Toland?
Glad to have tg4

leakyboots

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Hahahaha came here to say the same thing!

A classic only 3 mins in, many more to come no doubt!

leakyboots

Cronin is really in fine form the past while, great to see him back to his best. He's getting a turnover every game lately

aloooof

Great start from Joey. Conditions look woeful but Nick McCarthy seems to throw that kinda wayward pass a bit too often. We’re gonna miss Billy Holland next season tho...

leakyboots

Tackle on the head there I thought?

theVersatile

leakyboots wrote: »

Tackle on the head there I thought?

From Daly? Absolutely - similar to Wooten on Joey last week

aloooof

Was JJ stuck in the maul there??

theVersatile

Fineen and Billy made a right bollix of that

Squidgy Black

aloooof wrote: »

Was JJ stuck in the maul there??

Was on the back of the lineout and then joined into the maul, hilariously high body position though

razorblunt

No arms by 13.

leakyboots

theVersatile wrote: »

From Daly? Absolutely - similar to Wooten on Joey last week

Just caught it at the end on a replay, their 6 or 8 on us. Tis immaterial now, probably was nothing in it if TMO didn't call it

aloooof

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Was on the back of the lineout and then joined into the maul, hilariously high body position though

We had Casey at the front of the lineout recently as well, so some interesting stuff going on at lineout time. Good to see it going better than last week anyways.

Munster need to be a bit more clinical here.

Would like to see JJ at 12 more often, played well there for Northampton.

razorblunt

Ref’s bluff was called.

theVersatile

Powerful stuff from Coombes. That try was a long time coming

leakyboots

Classy stuff from Coombes so far

aloooof

Coombes seems so hard to stop from that range. Won a penalty there earlier in that attack too. You’d have to think he’ll get capped soon.

Coombes is such a gifted footballer for a lad his size.

sydthebeat

Coombes is on fire so far

randomname2005

Would like to see a replay of Joey's attempt at a tackle